Dynamics
by Rietta
Summary: Ever since a certain member of the CCU made a series of little mistakes, the foundations of the unit have been crumbling. Will the arrival of a new pathologist fix the team dynamics or is the unit breaking up for good?


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Waking the Dead or any of its episodes or characters. I'm just borrowing them for a trip down the pub- I promise I'll return them (sober!) in time for work tomorrow.

**Spoilers:** Specific spoilers for the series 5 episode 'Cold Fusion'. This is set between Series' 5 & 6, about three months after 'Cold Fusion'.

**Rating:** T

**Notes:** Still got writer's block for TH&B, but my muse did throw this at me today. Just a few musings about Eve's arrival at the CCU and how that affected the team.

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"Grace, Spence, Stella, this is Dr Eve Lockhart, our new pathologist."

The three seated around Spence's desk turned at the sound of Boyd's voice, smiling at the slight brunette who followed their boss into the squad room.

"Eve, these are Dr Grace Foley, our profiler; Detective Inspector Spencer Jordan... and Detective Constable Stella Goodman."

Eve nodded at each in turn as she committed the names to memory, frowning slightly at the all too noticeable pause before Stella's name, and Boyd's hasty exit to his office, leaving her alone to face her new colleagues.

"Hi." It was ridiculous, she felt almost shy! But the welcome in the eyes of the three she had just been introduced to was enough to make her feel more at home immediately.

"Hi Eve, welcome to the team!" Grace's greeting came a matter of seconds before Spencer's was delivered with a winning smile.

"Hi. Don't worry about Boyd- they say his bark's worse than his bite, but as long as you've been inoculated against rabies you'll be fine. But if he gets too vicious, just set Grace on him." Spence was aware that Boyd could probably here every word that he was saying, but in light of his recent mishap at the wrong end of a gun, the DI was fairly confident that he could get away with a little cheek- for the next few hours, anyway.

Eve chuckled. "Don't worry, I've been vaccinated against everything going- it sort of comes under the job description of a forensic pathologist."

Pleased to see Eve and Spence getting off to a good start, Grace smiled as she rose to her feet.

"Would you just excuse me for a moment?" Without waiting for an answer, she headed for Boyd's office. Three pairs of eyes followed her, and then Spencer looked at Eve.

"Have you seen the lab yet?"

"Not yet, no." Eve would have preferred to have started by meeting the lab before she had to meet her colleagues, but when Boyd had met her at the reception desk she had sensed that she'd have to get the awkward first meeting over with before she could see where she'd be working. Spence smiled.

"Come on, I'll show you."

Left alone in the squad room, Stella gazed down at her desk and sighed. Great. Eve had been here five minutes and she was already palling up with Spence. Boyd and Grace, as everyone knew, were practically inseparable. The young DC had been hoping that with the arrival of the new pathologist the team dynamics would change. Ever since that unfortunate series of accidents that had resulted in the hospitalization of both Spence and the teams' old pathologist, Dr Felix Gibson, Stella had felt distinctly invisible. At the very least she could rely on Grace and Spence to be civil; but Boyd was a different case. She was sure he thought more highly of the drawing pin that had embedded itself in his shoe the previous week than he did of her. Yes, she had been stupid, but surely she had been punished enough for it now!

"What's up with... Stella?" Eve asked as she followed Spence down to the lab. Anyone with eyes could see that the young redhead was distinctly unhappy. Spence frowned.

"Oh, she just... interfered with a case a few months back, just before Felix left. Felix and I both ended up in hospital. Boyd still hasn't forgiven her for breaking his trust."

"What about you?" It would be natural for Spence to bear more of a grudge towards Stella than his boss apparently was, and yet the pathologist could sense that this was not quite the case. The DI shrugged as he led the way into the lab.

"Shit happens. She's a good kid, when she sets out to do her job properly."

Sensing that Spence was not willing to talk about it, she let the matter drop and gazed rapturously round the lab.

"Oh my, this is a pretty little joint!"

In the confines of Boyd's office, Grace was regarding the DSI sceptically.

"Well? Do we have a case?"

Boyd sighed. "Not yet, Grace, not yet. But the Commissioner has something he wants us to look into- he's sending the files over at ten, to give us a little time to integrate Eve into the team."

Grace raised an eyebrow. "Ah yes, talking of teams... Don't you think you're being a little harsh on Stella, Boyd?"

Boyd looked at her incredulously. "Grace, she nearly got Spence and Felix killed! She's lucky to have kept her job; she doesn't deserve me being nice to her as well."

"Yes, because we all know that Detective Superintendent Boyd doesn't know the meaning of the word 'nice'," Grace shot back. It was a cheap shot, but under the circumstances she felt it was justified. She was sick of trying to work in an atmosphere that resembled Death Row. It had taken her time to forgive Stella, just as it had taken the rest of the team time; but now that she was satisfied that the young redhead bitterly regretted her actions, the grateful look in Stella's eyes whenever she was shown even the slightest bit of kindness tore Grace's heart. No-one deserved to have to work in an atmosphere where they felt that all their colleagues hated them. The profiler had hoped that Eve's arrival would signify a shift in team dynamics, but it looked as if it would take some time and effort to talk Boyd around to that viewpoint.

"Grace, I run a working police department. I don't get paid to be nice." Boyd didn't see what the problem was. After some persuasion from Grace and the Commissioner, he'd allowed Stella to remain with the CCU; but the DSI hated working with someone he didn't feel he could absolutely trust. As he'd discovered a year or so ago, one tiny mistake could cost lives- the death of one of his junior officers caused by the simple act of her forgetting her mobile phone had affected him deeply and he still hadn't recovered from DS Mel Silver's demise. Now his other original junior detective, DI Spencer Jordan, had almost died as a result of Stella's mistakes; and that wasn't something Boyd would forgive easily. Besides, he already had a residual dislike of Stella stemming unreasonably from the sheer fact that she had replaced Mel, who had been almost like a daughter to Boyd.

Knowing Boyd as well as she did, Grace could almost see the thoughts running through his mind. She understood completely where he was coming from and what motivated him to think in this manner; yet for all that she still thought he was being unreasonable.

"You don't get paid to beat up suspects either, but I've never noticed that stopping you." Another cheap shot, but Boyd's anger often spiralled out of control. A flash of that anger flickered across his face now, and before he had a chance to reply angrily she let her features soften.

"Please, Peter. All I'm asking for is a smile or a basic compliment now and again. She won't break your trust again; she was devastated by what happened to Spence. And if Spence has forgiven her by now..." Grace let her voice trail off, trying to look her most appealing.

Boyd was about to snap back at his profiler when he noticed the almost anguished look in her eyes. Once again he was powerless to resist, and closing his mouth again he nodded slowly.

"Fine. I'll try and change this, ok, Grace? But I'm not making any promises."

"I'm not asking you to," she replied softly, smiling at him. Nodding firmly once again, he rose abruptly to his feet and made his way out into the squad room. At precisely that moment Spence and Eve returned from the lab, but Boyd scarcely noticed them- his attention was drawn to the dejected DC by the coffee machine.

"Stella!"

She looked up immediately, her expression half hope and half fear, so much so that even Boyd was moved.

"What you did three months ago was stupid and irresponsible and you can't blame the team for finding it difficult to trust you now. But you're not bad at your job, when you make up your mind to do it properly. So let's use Eve's arrival as a chance to make a new start. Spence and the team forgive you. We haven't forgotten, don't think that for one minute, but we'll forgive you. Use this opportunity to show us we can trust you again. Alright?"

Stella nodded, tears gleaming in her eyes.

"Yes Sir. I'm sorry Sir, I didn't mean to betray your trust. I'll never do it again, I promise."

Boyd waved the acceptance of his terms aside impatiently. "Alright, alright, just make me a coffee, will you?"

Watching from the doorway of Boyd's office, Grace chuckled. However hard one might try, there was just no changing Boyd.

"Yes Sir. And... thank you, Sir." Stella poured her boss a mug of coffee, then glanced round the rest of the team. "Anybody else?"

"I'd love one, thanks, Stella," Eve replied with a warm smile, relishing the smile she got in return; and Spence and Grace quickly added their own acceptance. The young DC handed steaming mugs around, coincidentally making sure that everyone was equipped when a young uniformed constable poked his head round the door with a brown cardboard box- the long-awaited case.

As Stella took the contents of the box and presented them on the glass board for the others, she could not help smiling inwardly at the lack of contemptuous looks staring back at her. If it had been hard facing Spence and Boyd after the accidents, it had been even harder facing Felix; and although Stella felt responsible for the old pathologist's departure, she also felt relieved by it. Evidently Spence had not been filling Eve in on the happenings of three months ago- there was no animosity or pity on the new pathologist's face, only interest. Even Boyd was listening patiently to her explanations.

Watching Stella presenting the case, Grace felt a certain sense of satisfaction. Of course, it was vaguely possible that Boyd might have been planning that little speech all along- it certainly sounded rehearsed enough!- but the profiler allowed herself to think that she'd had some influence over it. Proud of her friend nevertheless, she inched her desk chair closer to Boyd and laid a subtle hand on his arm, confident that as they were at the back of the room, no-one would notice. As he looked at her, she treated him to one of her most genuine smiles, and he smiled back warmly. He'd been planning that little speech for some time, deliberately being cold to Stella to punish her; but if he'd managed to deliver his spiel in a manner which allowed Grace to think that she was in some way responsible, so much the better. Despite appearances, he did like making the profiler happy. Carefully he inched his desk chair closer to Grace until their shoulders were touching, confident that as they were at the back of the room no-one would notice.

Naturally, he was wrong- someone did notice. Sensitive to the originally shaky dynamics of the team, Eve was alertly absorbed all her surroundings whilst to all appearances concentrating on what Stella was saying. The eagle-eyed pathologist did not fail to notice the looks passing between Boyd and Grace, or the subtle movement of the chairs, and she smiled to herself, suspicions forming in the back of her mind. But really, they looked so natural together, so well suited. With a hidden smirk she brought her attention back to Stella, feeling just a little smug at the idea that the sudden increase in the redhead's happiness might be partially down to her presence.

As Stella finished talking and Boyd rose to assign tasks, Eve kept a subtle eye on Spence. It might have been her imagination, but somehow the DI seemed happier now as well, as did the profiler. That reminded her of something, and she impatiently waited for Boyd and Grace to quit the room, turning to the junior detectives as soon as the pair had disappeared into their respective offices.

"So," she demanded of no-one in particular. "Are those two sleeping together?"

Spence choked on his coffee and Stella couldn't help but laugh.

"I have my suspicions," the DC confessed with a grin, and Eve chuckled. Spence looked appalled.

"Honestly, you women! What an image! No, they are not sleeping together!"

Eve looked slightly bemused. "Well why on earth not?"

Her sharp ears catching the full glory of Spence's indignant reply to Eve's impertinent question, Grace collapsed into silent hysterics behind the safety of her desk. Once she was sufficiently recovered, the profiler picked up the phone and dialled the number imprinted on the forefront of her mind. The phone only rang once before Boyd picked up.

"Not listening in on our new pathologist's team bonding are we, Dr Foley?"

Grace chuckled. "Well, actually, I was ringing to complain about the inferior powers of detection of the Cold Case Unit's DI- he's not very on the ball, is he?"

It was Boyd's turn to laugh. "To be honest, Grace, I think I'd rather keep it that way."

Grace raised an eyebrow, turning in her chair to observe him through the two layers of glass that separated them. "Really? There doesn't seem much point hiding it any longer, seeing as Stella and apparently also Eve know- and Eve's only been here an hour!"

Boyd chuckled. "I see what you mean about Spence's powers of deduction. Maybe you're right, Grace, maybe we should just tell them. It would fit with all this 'fresh start' malarkey, after all..."

Grace smiled at him through the glass. "Ok then, let's get out there and do it."

Without waiting for an answer, she put the phone down and walked out into the squad room, hoping that Boyd would follow suit. To her relief, he did; and the other three members of the team turned to look at them expectantly. Suddenly feeling a tad nervous, Grace stepped closer to Boyd as she wondered precisely what to say. Fortunately- or should that be _un_fortunately?- Boyd didn't have that problem.

"Ok, since we're having a 'fresh start' and all that, Grace and I have something to tell you. Of course, some of you have correctly guessed already, but for those of you who haven't," he glared pointedly at Spencer, "Spence is a terrible detective."

Spence looked outraged, Grace embarrassed, Eve and Stella like cats that had got the cream.

"So you two _are _together then?" Stella demanded clarification of what she had long suspected.

"Ten out of ten for observation, Stella," Boyd returned, slipping an arm around Grace's waist. The young DC smiled, delighted to note the smile on Boyd's face and the complete lack of animosity in her boss' sarcastic reply.

Spence was still struggling to process the information, looking very much like he was floundering in uncharted seas as he tried his hardest to consign the disturbing thoughts the announcement had thrown up to the deepest, darkest corner of his mind- the corner without a light switch that he never visited if at all possible.

Looking round at the various expressions on her colleagues' faces and almost literally feeling the tension in the atmosphere lifting, Eve smiled broadly. It looked like she was going to greatly enjoy working here after all...


End file.
